Hair curler



May 20, 1941. L. DUfssEAU 2,242,850

HAIR CURLER Filed March 16, 1946 JUL/Elim EmTM/mmf Patented May 20, 1941 UNTE ST TES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to hair curlers. vUp to the present time many varying types of hair curlers have been developed and quite a number which involve a cylindrical roll as the main body of the curler about which the hair is wound. This is the type of curler with which the present invention is concerned.

The prior types of curlers of this nature have been somewhat complicated both from the point of view of construction and operation and do not attain the degree of efficiency that may be achieved. In addition to the roll about which the hair is wound to form the curl, it is essential that the roll must include a form of clamping means that will retain the hair on the roll for the period of time required, while in addition it is necessary to provide some form of 4preliminary clamping means to hold the hair in position while it is being wound on the roll.

A number of curlers of the prior art include covered wire arms which are designed to project from each end of the roll to form clamping means for holding the hair on the r-oll after it has been wound thereon and include a third wire, clasp `or the like, which first of all is bent or swing downwardly onto the roll to engage the first wisp of hair which is placed on the roll in order to hold it preliminarily for the Winding operation. This 'means, therefore, that there are three distinct elements used in conjunction with the roll iand as the hair is preliminarily fastened on the roll and the rolling operation is proceeded with, the projecting arms of wire or the like form an obstruction to the eiiciency of the rolling operation since they get in the way and interfere with the users hands during the rolling. In addition to this they cannot be brought into ia really firm engagement with the hair positioned on the roll and in consequence it is not only impossible to achieve a really tight curl but in some cases the result is that the roll becomes disengaged from the hair, particularly in the case where the curler in question is used as a night curler and may be subjected to action that might tend to dislodge it when the wearer moves her head against the pillow when in bed.

A further type of construction known in the prior art involves a tubular roll, a metal clamp secured to such roll designed to be moved into engagement with it to form a preliminary holding means for the hair as it is l'irst brought into contact with the roll andan elastic clamping means which is fastened to the tube and designed to be pulled across the roll of hair upon the tube `and then inserted in the end of the tube by means of a special rubber plug or the like which may be projected for a short distance into the opposite end of the tube to that from which the elastic is anchored. This has the effect of permitting a relatively tight curl to be formed but it is disadvantageous in that it involves Ifour separate parts, namely the roll, the metal clamp, the elastic and the plug, so that it is somewhat complicated, while on the other hand the plug may tend to dislodge after it has been inserted in the tube. In :addition to this the tube so used may n-ot be a soft rubber tube desirable particularly for night curlers, since the strain cf the elastic on the ends of the tube once the plug has been inserted has the tendency to bend the tube and thus tend to release the curl. `Consequently if the curl is not released entirely, it is at least loosened to such an extent that it is not possible to 'obtain as tight a curl as ordinarily would be desired.

The present invention obviates the disadvantages of the prior art both in respect to simplicity of construction and operation and the elficient results produced. Moreover, in the majority of cases it is simpler to manufacture and may be constructed :as a day curler or ia night curler and in the latter case may employ .a relatively soft rubber tu-be or roll which, through the construction involved, When finally set will not cause the tube to bend and release or loosen the curl.

The present invention consists generally in a tubular body about which the curl is to be Wound, the body having connected thereto an elastic cord or the like anchored to the tube :at lone end and carrying on its other a metal clip pin which is designed to co-operate With the tube in the first instance to clamp the first wisp Iof hair on the tube prior to the rolling operation and which may .be disengaged Vfrom the tube and then inserted in the opposite end of the tube to that where the elastic cord is anchored, thus firmly gripping the rolled hair on the tube by means of the elastic cord .and forming a rigid reinforcing member within the tube which obviates distortion of th-e tube in the case where the latter is of rubber or relatively soft material. The construction may also include a simple gripping means for removing the pin from the tube and the parts may be connected in various ways.

Th-e invention Will be clearly understood by reference to the following detailed speciiication taken in -conjunction with the :accompanying drawing.

y,tube with two orifices and member Il through the 'wardly oiTset as at iii.

' within it.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the hair curler assembled ready for application to the head.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken through the body of the curler showing one preferred manner in which the extensible member of the curler is anchored thereto and :also illustrating the hair gripping means removed from the body.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken through the body of the curler showing the clip pin inserted within the tube and the extensible member stretched across the outside of the tube as When holding a curl tightly rolled on the body.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are similar views showing the various steps in curling hair Awith the curler.

Referring to the drawing, A indicates the curler as a whole which comprises a roll or tubular body lil made from any suitable material to render it rigid or yieldable as Ymay be desired. An extensible member il, which may take the form of a Vcovered elastic cord, is anchored at one end to .the tube and at a point preferably adjacent to vone end of the tub-aas shown in Figure 2. The anchoring may be accomplished by providing the li and slotting the two orifices, yincluding a washer it inserted between the interior of the tube and the knotted `end i5 of the member il.

VvOther means of anchoring may, of course, be

employed if desired.

The opposite end ci the member I l is connected to the looped end i6 ci a clip pin Il' in any suitable way and in this connection the looped end of the pin may be made in the form of an eyelet. If vdesired the member il adjacent to its point o1 connection with the pin il may be formed 'with a projecting loop or the like i8 which may serve as a gripping handle during one phase of use ofthe curler.

The clip pin il' is formed with opposed spring arms E3 and 2@ designed to bear upon one another and the forward endY of the arm l may be up- In one phase of use the arms are designed to straddleV the core or" the tubular body id so that one arm, for instance I9, is disposed the outside of the body as shown in Figure while the other arm 20 is disposed The curler ther fore involves three simple essential parts, namely 'the tubular body, an elastic cord-like member and a clip pin, connected to form a unit. Normally these parts are disposed as shown in Figure l in which position the curler is ready for use.

In loperation the unit as shown in Figure l is placed adjacent vthe head and a wisp of hair is clamped between the arm l of the pin l'l and the body l of the curler. This is readily accom- Yplished by lifting free end oi arm i9 outwardly `from thebody permitting it to snap back over the hair, as shown in Figure li. The body is then rotated until the curl is tightly rolled Vthereon at which point .is merely necessary to grasp the vfinger grip it or the end of the pin and pull it from its straddling engagement with the body i3. The pin is then moved to the oppositev end of the body Iii, so as to stretch the elastic cord il across the hair Wound upon the body, as shown Figure 5, whereupon the pin i1 is introduced to the opposite end of the body and inserted wholly within it, as shown in Figure 6. This anchors the cord in its stretched position across the hair rolled on the body portion of the curler and has the result o-f holding the curl tightly.

In removing the curler it is only necessary to grasp the finger grip I8 which projects from the end of the tube or Abody of the curler and withdraw the pin il which releases the stretched elastic member ll from engagement with the curl and it is then only necessary to move the body oi the curler axially and it may be readily Withdrawn from the curl. When the curler has been removed from the curl, it is then only necessary to return the pin to straddling engagement with the body portion le, as shown in Figure 1, when the curler is ready for immediate use again.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the curler disclosed is extremely simple in construction and very simple to operate. Particularly it Will be noted that when the pin I7 is inserted Within the bore of the tubular body portion of the curler there willv be no metal clamp forcibly engaging the hair, the edges'of which might tend to cut the hair, as -is the case in a number of curlers at present in use. Moreover, with the construction disclosed it is possible to form the tubular body it from yieldable material, such as rubber, and when the pin is inserted within the bore oi the tubular body such pin has the result oi reinforcing this pliable structure and preventing it from bending under strain of the stretched extensible member il so that the curl is naturally held in a similar manner to the case where a rigid body is employed with the advmitage that the softer yieldable body can be employed for night curlers and will not injure or hurt the head of the wearer should she lie upon them.

It is obvious, of course, that the clip pin may be connected to the elastic member intermediate the end oi the latter so as to provide for a projecting inger grip and in the following claims the term connected to the opposite end of said f elastic member is designed to mean right adjacent to the end or at a point intermediate the end of the elastic member. It will be appreciated also that the term elastic member is designed to embrace any suitable member that has elastic properties and may therefore be extended as required. Y

I claim:

l.V A hair curler comprising a tubular body, an elastic member anchored at one end to said body and a spring clip pin connected to the opposite end of said elastic member, said clip pin normally straddling the Wall of lthe body to provide a spring holder for engaging and retaining a wisp of hair to be curled and vbeing designed for insertion within said body to stretch said elastic member from end to end of said body to engage and retain the wound hair when curled thereon.

2. The device as claimed in claim l, in which the body is made -from yieldable material, said pin being substantially the length of the body when inserted therewithin forming reinforcing means to prevent the body from bending under strain of the stretched elastic member.

LAMBERT DUSSEAU. 

